[ex]changed.life

2005-03-31T09:21:00.000-05:00

i've moved!

Okay, the wait is over! I have created a new blog!!

The skinny...
My blogday (blogging birthday) is this coming Saturday. I made my very first blog posting on April 2, 2003 (click here), and to celebrate, I've started a new blog.

Yup, I am no longer blogging with Blogger (hey, that rhymed!). Blogger's been good to me. I spent my first 2 years of blogging here! However, its time to grow up and move on. Don't worry, though... I'll keep this site up as long as Blogger will let me.

I'm blogging @ TypePad now! Please update your urls and such... I do hope you'll follow me to my new home @:

http://adamfeldman.typepad.com

So long, [ex]changed.life!!

2005-03-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

year 2 archives

april 04
may 04
june 04
july 04
august 04
september 04
october 04
november 04
december 04
january 05
february 05
march 05

2005-03-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

x<24hrs

that's right... less than 24 hrs away...

2005-03-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

are you ready?

it'll be real soon now...

2005-03-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

easter

We had a wonderful Easter service @ CCC yesterday. Despite the coldfront and subsequent severe weather, we had a great time worshipping our risen Lord together. My personal favorite was ending the service with a video montage of the life of Christ interspersed with clips from The Passion. While the video was playing, the band played "The Wonderful Cross" live. It was awesome how the timing worked out...

I am currently reading Deitrich Bonhoeffer's "Life Together." I've always wanted to read it, and I'm glad that I've finally started it. He has such a wonderful perspective on Christian community. As I've been reading it, I've considered my current community of faith.

All too often I tend to be cynical or judgmental of the shortcomings of Christians and the Church. (Read a few posts below of my comments on the SBC.) I've recently come to the conclusion that when I point the finger, I tend to be staring in the mirror! I think Jesus had this in mind when he warned us to remove the plank from our own eye before attempting to remove the speck of sawdust from someone else's eyes.

On this rainy Georgia day, I'll leave you with a quote from Bonhoeffer:

"He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial."

2005-03-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

not again...

There was a major earthquake in Indonesia this morning, and another tsunami warning was posted. You can view the article: HERE.

2005-03-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

beautiful day

it's a magnificent day outside today... absolutely wonderful weather.

in other news, i apologize for my comments not working. i'll be fixing that soon...

2005-03-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

good friday, happy easter

2005-03-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

t-minus...

it's only a few days away now...

2005-03-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

emerging sbc

Some good dialogue going on at the Emerging SBC's blog. Steve asked everyone to respond to this article from the BP. You can find the dialogue on the esbc blog HERE: Emerging SBC Leaders: Emerging Threat.

2005-03-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

upcoming conference

Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (authors of The Shaping of Things to Come) are coming to Atlanta this April. The conference is being held @ Northside Community Church on one of the 18 Peachtree Streets in Atlanta. Anyway, I read Shaping a few months ago and it really impressed me how Frost and Hirsch approach emerging, missional Church within the context of Western culture. Scott and I are heading down there. If you're in the area and planning on going, let me know and we'll try to get together for conversation.

Click here for more info on the conference.

2005-03-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

it's coming...

just a heads up.

2005-03-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

sbc conversation moving elsewhere...

First of all, thanks for all who have commented on the last two posts regarding sbc life (whipple, reggie, scott, mo, steve, rob...) even if you've never stepped foot in a southern baptist church. Special thanks to Steve at Reformissionary for his dialogue and for stepping out and creating a blog dedicated to this dialogue. You can visit said blog @: Emerging SBC Leaders. (Looking forward to it, Steve!) My understanding is that the blog is for those of us who are concerned about current sbc life, willing to "stick with it" and desiring to be change-agents. However, if you're not in the sbc, I'm sure you won't be excluded from the dialogue.

2005-03-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

southern baptist young leader initiative - part 2

I've heard back from many of you regarding my posting yesterday on the current leadership of the sbc's attempt to reconnect with younger leaders. I think yesterday was my "positive" posting... today is a bit more "realistic" (cynical?).

1) First of all, some of you have emailed me or asked if there is a place for young sbc leaders to dialogue. Apparently, there is a young leaders discussion board located at LifeWay's website. I've never posted, partially b/c I didn't know it existed until recently. My gut tells me that perhaps blogging is the better place for this to happen... which brings me to the second point...

2) Secondly, my buddy (fellow black sheep?) Reggie pointed out that during the meeting some of the LifeWay guys kept saying that LifeWay already has the answers to the questions that we were asking. For instance, one "young leader" asked: "Is there a way we can reach all this information you're talking about via a ONE-STOP web site?" Makes sense: save time and energy, consolidate information. The response was a bit tongue-and-cheek: "There's already a search engine that searches all sbc-related sites. As long as YOU have linked to US, your information will be available. The search engine works like Google. I'm sure most of you know what Google is. [He actually said that!]" It just REEKED of arrogance.

3) Aaaannndd, along those lines, there was also a sense that we weren't really being listened to by some of the folks there. Could've been my predisposition to distrust the situation, but I am primarily referring to one gentleman (the dude mentioned above) who had a response to everything we said. At one point, he even stated: "If you want to make change happen, you need to contact this certain committee of six people who meets before September of every year and determines the next National Convention's agenda." WHA--!?! If that's the case, then why the heck did you invite all of us out here!? In reflection, though, it was really only a handful of guys (2-3) that really sent off that institutionalized-vibe. I was encouraged by Jimmy Draper (President of LifeWay) and Bob White (President of the Georgia Baptist Convention) in that they frequently said: "That's a good question! We have no answer for that. That's why we need to work together to find a solution."

Again, this is my realistic post. I kind of lament it b/c most of us are already keenly aware of the problems in the sbc and other denominations--it may serve no good to smack a dead horse here (um, I'm refering to the issues). On the other hand, I feel I buttered you up in my previous post and may have made you feel all warm-and-fuzzy that things were on the up-and-up.

I have my doubts, and I have my hopes.

I guess the long-and-short of it is this: It seems that some of the current leadership of the SBC is interested in hearing our thoughts and letting us make strategic/critical decisions (I think Jimmy Draper is much more legit than others). It also seems that they are willing to listen to us as long as we move our desired change/reform through their pre-existing system. This is something that many of us younger guys are really not interested in doing. I mean, who has the time to learn the bureaucratic ins-and-outs of a denomination? Let's get missional!! There's gotta be a way........

If you're a denominational guy and you stumbled upon this site, I'm glad you are here. I hope you'll lend your thoughts to the dialogue.

2005-03-17T16:05:00.000-05:00

southern baptist young leader initiative

I spent most of the morning and early afternoon in Lawrenceville, GA @ an SBC focus-group-esque dialogue with the president of LifeWay, Jimmy Draper (geez... that was a horrendously long sentence!). Draper started the Younger Leaders Dialogues as a way for he and the current "older" leadership in the SBC to dialogue with us young, wild leaders in the Convention. [As a side note: I have a lot of respect for Draper. He took a lot of flack at the SBC national convention last fall for something he said from the stage to the 1,000s of people in attendance. Adam's paraphrase: "If the SBC doesn't embrace and empower the young leaders in our denomination, then the denomination will cease to exist in the next few years." Some potent truth, and it took some guts for him to say that to the entire SBC.]

I headed over there early this morning with some CCC folk. I was pleasantly surprised to see several "young" faces, complete with gotees and everything that is cliché-emergent. (Yes, "emergent" and "post-this-and-that" was thrown out so syrupy thick that I could have eaten pancakes with it... almost as thick as the presence of some tail-sniffing, coat wearing 'ladder climbers' of tomorrow...) I ran into two buddies of mine that are planting a Church in Augusta called The Well. (Feel better, Jeremy... Reggie, your gotee is sick [in a good way]! A burgeoning eco-system.) I also ran into Tim @ 1027 Church in downtown ATL (we had met a few years back via a mutual friend). Talked with a couple-o other guys I've seen over the years... Bill (another music/worship dude), Mark (another seminary dude) and Adam (a college/singles minister dude who lived on the same hall as me in college).

Okay. So, I'm done dropping names. The "dialogue" was pretty much what I expected: lots of young leaders expressing their angst toward the SBC as it operates today. There was much talk to redirect the conversation into a "healthy" dialogue focusing on solutions (i.e. "we KNOW the problems, now help us SOLVE them!"). I heard lots of solutions that I had been thinking of, and some new, fresh ideas. This was encouraging b/c I felt as though there are others like myself who, though not "die-hard" Southern Baptists, care enough about the denomination to want it to become something better than it currently is.

At one point, Draper said (again, Adam's paraphrase): "Now, you guys can choose to start your own convention from the ground up. It'll take a lot of work. Or, you can take this one and 'reform' it to something that will be relevant and missional in the 21st century." A guy from the audience stood up toward the end of the dialogues and said: "I think I speak for most young leaders here. We don't want to take anything from you. We don't want a coup. We'd rather you willingly hand us the baton and walk alongside with us as we do this together..." Well said sentiment.

I was encouraged, but am not holding my breath. At this point (to use a cliché), it seems a daunting task to turn this Titanic around. We shall see...

2005-03-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

b'more

my wife is in maryland applying for a teaching position today. thanks for your prayers...

2005-03-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

purpose driven convict

I heard about this story (CNN), but had look it up to verify. Apparently, Ashley Smith (Brian Nichols' hostage) read to Nichols out of the Bible and The Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren). I heard on the news that Saddleback Church (where Warren is pastor) has been getting tons of phone calls about the book since this was reported. Hmm. I'm waiting to see how Warren chooses to leverage this...

(Geez. That sounded bad. Sorry. Nothing critical against Warren... I'm just a bit cynical toward marketing of the Christian faith...)

2005-03-14T12:49:00.000-05:00

thoughts on this weekend

I'm sure most of you heard about the goings on here in Atlanta over the past few days with escaped convict, Brian Nichols. Words can't express the randomness of the evil we experienced. How do the families of those persons shot and killed even begin to heal? It's a fairly known fact that Atlanta is one of the bloodiest and most violent cities in USAmerica. What a sad fact considering that the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, a symbol of peace, is right here in the center of our city.

Yesterday at lunch we talked about how bizarre it was for Nichols to surrender peacefully after killing 4 people and wounding several others. At the time of his surrender (Saturday), I actually thought: "I wonder if the woman he held hostage talked with him about the righteous judgement, love and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ." Sure enough, today I read this article on BBC News that describes how Ashley Smith (his hostage) read to him from the Bible and talked about faith in God with him.

Last night I had a difficult time praying for Nichols. I knew I should. Jesus would have (he did). What Nichols did was so un-human... why should I pray for him? What if he receives the mercy and compassion of Christ? What a difficult thing to reconcile in my heart and mind.

Today, I was greeted with more disturbing news. This past weekend, a student in one of my wife's classes was shot and killed right here in our "safe" metro Atlanta suburb.

2005-03-11T12:13:00.000-05:00

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part X

Hard to believe, but we find ourselves once again mentioning a cheesy message found on "that Church's" sign on a busy Atlanta area highway:

"Your daily routine holds the secret of your future."

Chinese fortune cookies, anyone?

The Archives
Part 9 - "You cannot reach the palace talking like a peasant."
Part 8 - "God grades on a cross, not a curve."
Part 7 - "Failure is not an event. It's an opinion."
Part 6 - "The Bible[:] A Document Even CBS Can Trust"
Part 5 - "People who fight fire with fire end up with ashes."
Part 4 - "The Easter Bunny didn't rise from the dead!"
Part 3 - "Don't make me come down there. God."
Part 2 - "Be an organ donor, give your heart to Jesus!"
Thanks. Thanks a lot. - "For all that you do, His blood's for you!"

2005-03-10T15:14:00.000-05:00

streams

sitting here @ port city again. the coffee is okay today. not nearly as good as it was yesterday, although it is very hot and fresh today. i like port city for two reasons... wifi is free and i like the folks that work here. the bou is nice, and it still has a special place in my heart, but they don't have free wifi and their coffee is $1.60 for a small cup (rivaled in exorbitant cost only by starbu***). so, i ask, why pay $3/hr for wifi when i can have it for the cost of a $1.30 cup-o joe? not to mention, the recent turnover of staffing at the bou left only my favorite barista behind the counter (huzzah, dave!).

i liked my stream-of-conscious posting from yesterday. today runs in the similar vein. i've gotten tired of heavy posts or, worse yet, cheesy posts that just link you to another site.

in a way, i think this is what blogging should be. quick, spontaneous, from the gut. i admit, something is lost in a post when i spend so much time reading it over and over again to be sure there are no grammatical mistakes or speling errors (did you catch that one? i did it just for you).

yeah. the coffee's not as good today.

2005-03-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

today

sitting here at port city java with my organic, fair trade blend in hand. sipping the warmth from the mug, feeling the draft of cold winter air from the window next to me. there's a school bus stopping at the corner over there, dropping kids off from school. my mind returns to my younger days when elementary school was a chore. something that had to be endured to move on to high school... which was a horrific nightmare of cliques and cliches that had to be endured to move on to college... which, though rather stimulating, was still a link in the ever growing chains of higher education... then came seminary, where i learned all there was to know about god that we have figured out over the past several millennia... and i discovered we know a lot, but that i really missed the god we talked about.

the kids are walking home now. i'm still sitting here. *sip* mmm... organic blend.

2005-03-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

getting the word out

OOOOOkkkaaayyy... It's been a while, but I finally will post the suggested blogs from the getting the word out project. I'm sad to say that I didn't get many suggestions from you folk because it made my job more difficult (in fact... I only received 2). BUT, I am happy to throw a few more blogs at ya in the meantime...

perforated pinky: Cheryl recommends this blog. Here's what she says: "This blog highlights 1991 and 1992 graduates of Lassiter High School (Marietta, GA) in a "Where are they now?" format. Though the appeal of the blog may be limited to those who went to Lassiter or know someone who went to Lassiter in the early nineties, I think the overall concept is pretty cool."

blogmaverick: Reggie recommends this blog. Here's what he says about it: "i'd like to nominate blogmaverick - it's the blog for the owner of The Dallas Mavericks, HDNET, HD Movies, and a few other things - He made his money from Yahoo buying one of his companies - He's on the edge of technology and has a great grasp of how it affects our lives - Plus, he has some interesting societal and cultural views."

I would hunt down some more blogs for you, but, unfortunately, I don't have time this week. So, I'm going to be lazy, give a friend some more traffic on his blog and vicariously point you to a few more blogs to check out... all by giving you this link to click on.

2005-03-07T16:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 9

Okay... the latest installment from "that Church" and their sign. Please, don't hold your breath:

"You cannot reach the palace talking like a peasant."

This one really bothers me. I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fact that as far as I can tell, this pithy saying has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity... at least, the kind of Christianity that Jesus had in mind. Maybe it's the fact that I can't tell what the heck it means. Are they talking about prayer? If so, this really bothers me. Reminds me of all the fears of praying in public that I had as a kid: "What words do I use? What if people think I'm stupid because I can't pray that well?"

Yeah. I'm at a loss with this one.

The Archives
Part 8 - "God grades on a cross, not a curve."
Part 7 - "Failure is not an event. It's an opinion."
Part 6 - "The Bible[:] A Document Even CBS Can Trust"
Part 5 - "People who fight fire with fire end up with ashes."
Part 4 - "The Easter Bunny didn't rise from the dead!"
Part 3 - "Don't make me come down there. God."
Part 2 - "Be an organ donor, give your heart to Jesus!"
Thanks. Thanks a lot. - "For all that you do, His blood's for you!"

2005-03-05T14:30:00.001-05:00

up.date

Updating my "current reads" today. Currently reading A Generous Orthodoxy, Brian D. McLaren. I'll keep you posted on how that's going...

2005-03-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

alaska

My wife lived in Alaska for 3 years, teaching at a public school (Paul T. Albert Memorial School) in Tununak. Tununak is a remote Eskimo village on the Bering Sea (anyone jealous, yet?). National Geographic recently did an article on the school. Check it out: At Remote Eskimo School, Yearning for the Lower 48.

2005-03-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

see what i mean!?

Just to show you how ridiculous Georgia weather can be, here's a photo of the exact same spot I stood this morning (see my previous post) in snow-fall. (My personal favorite: notice the gleam of sunlight shinning on the car... it's spiting me.) Just a few hours later and Georgia is back in spring-time!

*ugh*

2005-03-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

march!

Today is the first day of March. I guess the weather didn't get the email. It's snowing in Atlanta.

It's not that I don't like snow. I do--I really like snow. It's just that I got very tired of wearing shorts in December and short-sleeved shirts in January and February. Then, to my surprise, I walk outside to my truck this morning, and there is snow! WHA--!? (The photo is of our office parking lot a few minutes ago.)

*sigh*

Remember the 80s? You know... when winter was winter and summer was summer? I miss those pre-apocalyptic days...

2005-02-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

balmy

It's February in Georgia... that means last week was really nice (short-sleeved shirt, 70's and sunny) and that today is na-haaasss-tee (coat, 40's and drizzling).

Maybe someday soon I'll have a bit more time to comment on more than just the weather...

2005-02-26T14:58:00.000-05:00

soul.break.february.05

I haven't been blogging lately because I haven't had internet access. I've been away on a soul.break. I left for the lake on Thursday of this week to find some solace and spend some time in prayer and reflection. Kim joined me after I had been there for a while, and we simply relaxed and refreshed our souls in the presence of Jesus and his creation. A definate needed "mental/spiritual/emotional health" time.

It's hard to believe that my last soul break was literally 1 year ago...
soul.break.february.04
soul.break.november.03
soul.break.july.03

2005-02-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

what is a christian?

At the risk of sounding unbelievably cliche, I've decided to post my thoughts on a somewhat ubiquitous question that someone asked me recently: "What, in your opinion, is a Christian?" So, here it is. My ideas of what it means to be a Christian...

The following is my response in an recent email conversation with an anonymous buddy of mine (I have his permission to reprint my response):

You asked some intriguing questions regarding Christianity. I'm more than happy to dialogue with you about these things via email...

You asked: "What does becoming a Christian mean to you?"...

In my opinion, you should not believe something simply because someone else wants you to. That's religious activity, and it lacks integrity. I am opposed to religion and religious ideas because they run against faith. Faith is the stuff of "owning" your "own" beliefs. In other words, they mean something to you on a deep personal level.

For instance, I have been a "Christian" most of my life. I've participated freely and willingly in Christian religion. I do not necessarily agree with or "jive" with everything about Christian religion. However, beneath all of that I have a faith in Christ. THIS is who I am. My faith in Christ is non-negotiable to me. The religious stuff is negotiable.

I say all that to ask you a couple-o questions: "What are those beliefs that you do not necessarily agree with? Are the 'religious' in nature? or are the more fundamental 'faith' stuff?" What do I mean by 'faith' stuff?...

Again: "What does becoming a Christian mean to you?" Very simply, here are the non-negotiables (the faith stuff, not religious stuff)... A Christian has come to the place where they recognize they are naturally an enemy of God (i.e. they possess a sinful nature) and they have made the voluntary choice to trust that Jesus' life, death and resurrection remove their sin and make them friends with God again (the Bible refers to this as adopted "sons" and "daughters"). Moreover, they have dedicated their life to knowing Jesus on a personal level (NOT religious level) and to the pursuit of a life of holiness as commanded and made possible by Jesus Christ. The Bible becomes their standard for decision making and lifestyle choices, and the Church becomes the place where they interact with other sons/daughters of God, worshiping and maturing together. They voluntarily chose to be a part of that community (i.e. Church) through baptism--an ordinance that reflects a new life direction.

What it doesn't mean: Christians are people who go to some building for religious services once a week. Christians are people who vote Republican... or Democrat. Christians listen or don't listen to a specific type of music. etc...

Those things are "religious." What I mean is they are based on control: "Christians do this... Christians don't do this..." Religion is dangerous and ultimately gratifies the selfish desire to meet God on my own terms. Faith is on God's terms and can only be accessed by the humble in heart and spirit.

I suggest you pick up a copy of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." You (like me) are very intellectual and may readily absorb things better in a way that Lewis packages his thoughts on Christianity.

2005-02-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

origins

*sigh*

Don't think I'll be making it out to the Origins Experience this year. That's a pretty big bummer. It rocked my world last year. (Here are some of my thoughts from last year: HERE and HERE.)

Check out the site for more details here: Origins : Awakening the Apostolic Ethos.

2005-02-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

leavin' town...

We're heading out this afternoon for our annual family gathering in North Carolina. This is always something I have looked forward to. I love my family. It's a huge family. (Put it this way, my mom has almost 40 cousins...) Unfortunately, it's going to be a quick turn around for us. I'm preaching this Sunday morning. (If you're in town... swing by!)

Oh, and I'm going to postpone posting the "Getting the Word Out" stuff because I don't have time to do it today as I previously hoped. Thanks for understanding...

Peace and coffee!

2005-02-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

getting the word out - reminder!

Just a reminder that I'm doing a blog-project called Getting the Word Out. I've gotten a few suggestions via email and my blog, but I'd like to have a larger variety to offer folks. So, nominate those blogs you want other folks to see!

2005-02-15T13:19:00.000-05:00

special post-valentine's day posting!

Those of you who were around this time last year know about my angst ridden valentine's day posting. (James put it into perspective, suggesting that Kim slap me in the face.) Anyway, this year I'm going to take a slightly more light-hearted approach to the pseudoholidayscam thatforcesmentopurchasecandiesandflowersandmultiplepinkthings and foreverywomantolikehergiftsevenifshecouldcareless by offering you a few post-valentine's day sites:

My Really Bad Date: For starters, this is a website created by an Atlanta based Bible study called 722. It's a current series they are in.

Homelife Security: I found this site on Theo's Blog. I am extremely reluctant to comment on the nature of the site. You'll see why. In the meantime, turn your speakers on and check it out...

2005-02-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

it's public!

Yesterday Kim and I shared with our church that we will be moving to the Baltimore area in late June to start planting a church. We are both excited about this call on our life, and are pumped and ready for this new adventure.

This has actually been a dream of mine that has been defered for several years--since spring of 2002! I was planning to head up to Baltimore after I graduated from seminary in May 2003, but that wasn't in God's plan. Five months after I "died" to my dream and committed to stay in Roswell, I met my wife, Kim, at a local coffee shop. God's ways are mysterious, but he is faithful to those who hear his voice and obey it.

I'll definately be posting more about this at a later date. For now, thank you for your prayers...

2005-02-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

a peasant's quest

This Friday morning post goes out to all you Homestar Runner fans out there. A few months ago the Brothers Chap came out with an online video game called Peasant's Quest. It was in line with all those wonderful "King's Quest" "Space Quest" "Janitor's Quest" games of the late 80s and early 90s. *sigh* [nostalgic moment... excuse me... sorry.] The funny thing is I think I brought "Kings Quest VII" (or something like that) to college with me. (My original posting about Peasant's Quest.)

Anyway, this week they produced a movie trailer for A Peasant's Quest - The Movie. Perhaps my favorite part of the entire thing is Trogdor burninating the villages and peasants. That, or: "throw baby!"

HUGE thanks to my cousin James who lurks around my blog from time to time, and told us all how to beat Peasant's Quest:
Just to get you started:
- Find the archer, talk to him.
- Go to the lake shore (so its on your left) and pick up the pebbles.
- Go to the well, use the pebbles.
- Type "get berries" outside of the woman's house at each of the bushes. Get the chickenfeed from the womans house - it's good to fish with.
- Then throw the chicken feed into the lake so the old man ctaches a fish.
- Go to the horse and use what you got at the well
- Say Haldo to the man the horse reveals.
- Take an arrow from his area also.
- Go back to the archer and after giving him what you found in the bushes of the womans house, play and win the game.
- Now kill the kerrek
- Take his belt
- Walk to the mud pit and get muddy
- Hide in the hay
- Walk down and steal the Jhonk'a gold. Answer his question 'no'. Go give the gold to the woman and take her baby.
- Throw the baby in the lake, in the well, and give it to the old man who was fishing but is now at the inn.
- Walk to the mysterious house with no door knob by the horse.
- Move the one round rock in the wall. Deploy the baby into the hole, he'll let you in.
- Open the drawer and take the robe.
- Close the drawer.
- Go get another arrow from near the horse.
- Go to the inn and sleep the night. Get the grease bucket from the top shelf in the night.
- Go outside and while it's still night go to the lamp hanging on the tree (it's lit now) and set your head on fire.
- Go to your old house and take the map
- Now go up the mountain to fight Trogdor!

Thanks again, James...

2005-02-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

the weather

Over it!! Thanks for your prayers and thoughts!

It was rather bizarre. I had been battling a cold off and on for about 2 weeks. Conquered it. Then, while I was at the gym the other night I got extremely dizzy and weak feeling. (Feeling weak at the gym is really nothing new.) Went home, took a shower and fell asleep immediately. My nose got all stuffy and I started running a temperature. Kim took good care of me, though. She drove to CVS late that night to pick up some drugs, and knocked me out with some NyQuil. It was a bizarre 24 hour kind-of cold. Weird.

Anyway, I'm feeling much better today! I think I'll be able to drink coffee without feeling dehydrated.

2005-02-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

the weather

I'm under it.

2005-02-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

getting the word out '05

So, I did this last February. I called it: Getting the Word Out. Basically, this is a forum for you to nominate blogs you read or frequent, and get them some more exposure. Props to Darren over at LivingRoom who did something like this a few years ago (I was actually nominated in '03). It's also a way to help you branch out into blogdom and begin reading some other folks. If you're like me, you kind of find yourself in a rut of reading only your friends' blogs and those that you are really familiar with.

Here are the rules:
1) Nominate a blog via my comments section below or via e-mail--provide the name of the blog and URL.

2) Provide 1-2 sentences on why you like the blog, and why anyone else should take the time to check it out.

3) Self-nominations are still not permitted (they weren't permitted last year). If you want folks to check out your site, provide your URL in the comments section and people can link to it if they so desire.

4) You can nominate up until Wednesday, February 16.

I'll post all of your suggested blogs plus a few of my own on Friday, February 18.

Ciao! (I'm not sure why I just said: "ciao!")

2005-02-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 8

Update! I drove back by "that church" the other day. The sign did not say: "Failure is not an event. It is an option." It said... "It is an opinion." I still don't understand it.

A different church this time! The disease is apparently spreading. Hold your breath...

"God grades on a cross, not a curve."

Aside from this quip totally minimizing the passionate expression of love, the eternal significance and cosmic altering event of "Christ's cross," all I can say is: WHA--??

The Archives
Part 7 - "Failure is not an event. It's an opinion."
Part 6 - "The Bible[:] A Document Even CBS Can Trust"
Part 5 - "People who fight fire with fire end up with ashes."
Part 4 - "The Easter Bunny didn't rise from the dead!"
Part 3 - "Don't make me come down there. God."
Part 2 - "Be an organ donor, give your heart to Jesus!"
Thanks. Thanks a lot. - "For all that you do, His blood's for you!"

2005-02-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

launching sunday

Praying for you guys!!

2005-02-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

good laugh

*ahem* Need a good laugh? This guy insists that "baby got book" is the best way to go: Baby Got Book (expect a long download time on some comps - 12.5mb file).

The video originated from New Life Christian Church in DC.

2005-02-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

blogging: a loss of connection

I've been blogging for just under 2 years now. Recently I've been finding more and more people saying: "I'm sorry I don't [call/email/write], but I feel like I know what's going on in your life because I read your blog regularly."

At first, I'm flattered. It still amazes me that people actually read my musings. There's a subtle sense of accomplishment to know that there are a few of you who read my blog regularly. (You know who you are...)

However, my recent reaction has been one of frustration. It's almost as if I've established a one-way communication between myself and, well, you. Granted, most of you leave comments (thanks for dialoguing!). It feels less and less like a one-way communication that way. I've even gotten to know some of you whom I have never met in person via our blogs.

But, for the majority of you whom I do not converse with on a regular basis (via email, phone or hanging out), you really do not know what's going on in my life. Geez, I hope that doesn't sound like an indictment. It shouldn't. Rather, it's just the reality of my blogging behavior. See, I limit what I write on my blog for various reasons.

For one thing, I'm trying to be careful that some freaky figure out there doesn't steal my identity. Another reason is that I have a wide variety of readers: friends near and far, cousins, parents and grandparents, Christians/non-Christians, and folks from the Church I serve. On top of all of this, I'm on the fringes of the emergent Church conversations (those of you who care know what I'm talking about), so I feel a need to be posting church-practice and theology related items from time to time. It's hard enough trying to find some sort of "median" content that everyone can relate to.

Back to the original idea behind this post. I guess what bothers me about this is the loss of connection I feel every time someone says: "I feel like I know what's going on in your life--I read your blog." Is there a solution to overcome this issue? Perhaps you can start a blog (I'm grateful Chad and Gerry started blogging recently). Perhaps you can post more comments on my blog. Perhaps you could email me an update occasionally. Perhaps when we talk on the phone next time you could do all the talking and I'll listen silently on the other line whilst my minutes tick away on my cell phone.

I dunno. It's a weird thing, this blogdom.

2005-02-01T13:13:00.001-05:00

jeremy carr

It seems I've just been throwing links at you lately. Sorry, but I'm going to do it again.

Jeremy Carr (click here for his website) is a seminary buddy of mine who lives in Augusta, GA. An excellent musician. One of my fondest memories with Jeremy--aside from Greek class (oh wait, that wasn't fond at all)--was when Reggie (um, another cool seminary guy), Jeremy and I hung out in the French Quarter @ the House of Blues during a week-long workshop.

Incidentally, he and Reggie are planting a Church in Augusta called the Well.

Some of Jeremy's stuff is on the web HERE.

(I hear rumors that he hangs around my blog anonymously...)

2005-01-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

ridiculous

A friend of mine sent me this link today. You can tell it's totally doctored up, but it is pretty hysterical. "2 points!" Apparently, it's a promo for a movie called "Pump It Up."

(BTW, for you basketball fanatics out there, I hope you enjoy the clip. MO, I'm thinkin' of you, buddy...)

2005-01-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

no go

It's 9:30AM on Sunday morning. I Should be @ Crosspointe playing the bass by now. Should be preaching a sermon in about 1 hour. But, alas, the ice storm that shut down the majority of Northern Georgia today shut us down as well.

Yesterday afternoon I determined to drive up to the Church building and survey the parking lot. We had already cancelled our 9:30AM activities, and the 10:45 service was pending. Scraping off the ice from my truck was a major annoyance. There was literally about 1/2 an inch to a full inch in places (the inch was, in my estimation, on the side where the wind and sleet must've been blowing all night). I finally cleared enough to be able to drive--soaking my jacket from ice chippings in the process.

The parking lot was a mess! The front parking lot was mostly slush by the time I got there. Still slipped on the black ice on my way to the door. The back parking lot was a different story. That lot is shaded by trees, so it was a huge ice skating rink! It was pretty unbelievable. I shuffled along throughout the parking lot and thought: "law suit." So, we cancelled services.

Gerry and my bro came up and the three of us tackled loosening up the ice on the front sidewalks and entry ways. We gave up after about an hour and headed home. (Scott made an apple pie earlier that day... mmm... I ate 1/2 of it on the way home!)

I wish I took some pictures yesterday. Perhaps I'll take a few today.

So, here I sit blogging. I think Kim and I will "go" to the online labyrinth today for a bit of alt.worship.

2005-01-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

a few more blogs

Just thought I'd put a couple-o more blogs up on my blogroll. I'm adding an old seminary pal of mine, Chad Austin. Chad's blog is called Chad's Running Commentary. He's got quite a number of posts for a baby blogger.

I am also adding a co-worker, Gerry Rogers. G's our Pastor of Student Ministries. Felt I'd give The.Big.G a bit-o help getting some traffic on his site.

I've recently discovered a couple-o blogs that have links to my blog on them, and from whom I've received some traffic. I felt like I should at least mention these folks so I could return the favor...

The World of The Scotsman - Jared is a student at me 'ole alma mater.

wind, wood and wire - Still on Andy's site. (He's another C-NC guy.)

Mr Rocky Top - Shawn is a student @ C-NC as well. He's a bit obsessed with The Amazing Race, though.

Jingleplumer's Xanga Site - Carrie was a leader in my student ministry a couple-o years back. Well, my blog isn't listed on her site, but my "xanga" which links to this blog is listed. (yes... I have a xanga site, too...)

A Disciple's Journal - Good Erwin McManus sound bite here.

Once again I ask: "why haven't you started a blog, yet?"

2005-01-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 7

Well, it's been a long time since my last "Thanks. Thanks a lot." installment. Actually, my last posting was on September 29 of last year! I wish I could say it is because "that Church" is putting up rather decent signage on their, um, sign. But, its actually because I don't drive down that part of the road anymore since Kim and I moved. But, alas, I saw "it" this morning. Hold your breath...

"Failure is not an event. Its an option."

Well, thank you very much for that ever so profound surface scum chicken-soup-of-the-soul tid-bit to get me through the week. It has already impacted my life in unspeakable ways. This "Christianity" thing sure is an ever-flowing source of life-altering wisdom.

(sarcasm added free of charge.)

Believe it or not: I found "that Church" online a few moments ago. They have an entire page on their site dedicated to silly "Christianese" jokes. Oh--my--goodness...

The Archives
Part 6
Part 5
Part 4
Part 3
Part 2
Thanks. Thanks a lot.

2005-01-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

threat or invitation?

Ruminating over the words of Jesus in Luke 9:23-25:

Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

Just thinking out loud: threat or invitation? The words of Christ cut me to the quick at times. This is one of those passages that just wrestles within me.

I love my life! Yet, to truly live I have to die. What kind of invitation is that?

I don't want to gain the whole world--or do I? What do I do about that part of me that wants a name? Wants to be remembered for something? That part of me that wants to outlast my physical life on earth?

This truly is the paradox of faith. I think this is one of those passages that draws me even closer to Jesus. He's so open and welcoming--but on his terms. And, who can deny such terms? He, himself, lived up to these terms when he gave up his life on my behalf. For someone as selfish as I am, this is a breath of fresh air... an invitation to die to my selfishness and truly live free.

What an example. What an invitation...

2005-01-21T10:18:00.001-05:00

massive baby

The other night at our band rehearsal one of our guitarists asked for prayer for his daughter who was pregnant. Apparently, she's carrying a pretty big baby--at 33 weeks it weighed 6lbs 11oz.

The next day, my bro and I searched the web for "big babies." Couldn't have happened at a better time! We found this article on CNN: Woman gives birth to giant baby - Jan 19, 2005. Apparently, earlier this week a Brazilian woman gave birth to a 16.7 pound baby (pictured).

Oh my goodness.

2005-01-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

reading update

Finally updated my current/recent reads. Thanks to my pal Tim for the sweet hook up (said in a Napoleon Dynamite voice) with McManus' Uprising. Tim hooked me up with a copy shortly after we were in Los Angeles for the Origins Project last year.

2005-01-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

return

Kim and I returned from our Maryland excursion last night. We had a wonderful time visiting friends.

A few highlights...

On Sunday we headed to Covenant Life Church for worship service. The service lasted almost two-and-a-half hours! It was a beautiful mixture of music, preaching, prayer, giving and testimonies. Josh Harris led a magnificant time of prayer.

It was great to see 2 of my friends who are "with child." Congrats, Jenny and Jenni! We're praying for you! (Oh, and you, too, MO and Jon!)

As a "perfect" finishing touch to our trip, it snowed the last night we were in Maryland. It was beautiful! Kim and I drove around in it acting like we were the Millennium Falcon warping through space at ridiculously high speeds! (In reality, we were driving in a Sable at about 45 mph with our lights on bright.) We headed to Main Street Ellicott City and stood out in the silent cold air and quietly falling snow... it was beautiful...

Thanks to all who opened their homes and lives to us! (Oh, and to whom it is applicable: "your mom.")

2005-01-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

maryland

Had a great time visiting with my buddies @ the Bean Hollow coffeeshop last night (Main Street Ellicott City). 'Twas good to be in the mix of my mid-atlantic friends again--sharing stories over coffee/tea/chai (um, not in the same cup). Looking forward to this weekend when Kim comes in to town and we head down near DC to visit with Jon and Jenni...

2005-01-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

vacationing

Heading out early tomorrow AM for Baltimore/Washington area. Kim and I planned on heading up there during her school winter holiday break, but my grandpa's passing complicated things. So, we're finally getting up there this "extended" weekend! I'm looking forward to fellowshiping with all my buddies who are married to girls named "Jenny," as well as my 'ole coffeeshop pals.

Hopefully it'll snow whilst were up there! Who knows...

2005-01-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

the accident

Well, I promised you photos from the accident. And, here they are...

My truck a few months before the accident. I spent several hours washing, waxing and detailing it. I don't think my truck has ever had stuff done to it that extensively... nor did it look as good as it did!

Crunch! This is the damage. (The car in the background is the one that hit me.)

Here it is after Collison Works fixed it up. They did a pretty darn good job, eh??

2005-01-07T08:37:00.000-05:00

weak-willed

I thought I had "beaten" my addiction/reliance on coffee. But since Monday... 6 different coffeeshop visits, 5 cups-o java, 4 cups-o decaf and 1 entire french press (in all fairness, I shared that beautiful tank-o-joe with my brother). Ugh.

Big weekend... leaving for Crosspointe's annual "Elder's Retreat" in a few minutes. I hope they have coffee there.

2005-01-05T10:32:00.000-05:00

saved!

Kim and I finally rented that "evil movie" Saved! last week. (Note the sarcasm already flowing.) I know, I know. We should have seen it sooner. Well, here are some of my thoughts on the film...

First of all, you should see it. And, um, you shouldn't see it. At a holiday party Kim and I were at a few weeks ago, someone put it this way: "Every Christian should see the movie--it'll open their eyes up to how most people view Christians. And, every non-Christian shouldn't see the film--because it'll only make them hate Christians even more." I think that's a pretty accurate commentary. I've been living in the Christian bubble (sub-culture) long enough that when I saw the film I said with a chuckle: "yup."

How the film fell short. At the same party, another person said: "It wasn't true satire of Christianity." His point was that the film offered exaggerated hypocrisies evident in many Christians' lives, but it lacked an example of a "true" or "real" Christian. He said: "I saw many people I knew in college when I saw the film. But, I never saw 'that guy' who was the really cool, thoughtful, down-to-earth Christian."

(English Major moment: true satire possesses a character that is "real" or the "norm." Without that "straight man" there is no redeeming element to the humor. It is essentially poking fun at a person/group of persons in much the same way that a bully pokes fun at a teenager with pre-marital baldness... um... not that I would know anything about that.)

In my own opinion, the film seemed more like a malicious bashing of a group of people (Christians) rather than a healthy dose of humor about the foibles found within that group of people. Had it possessed a real or genuine Christian character, it would have been a truly thought-provoking film. I wonder... if the film had been about any other group than Christians, would the ACLU have had something to say about it?? I do think it is interesting that most Christians and Christian organizations did not create a campaign against the flick. (Actually, Relevant magazine encouraged it's readers to view the film.)

There were a couple of moral themes in the film worth pointing out. When one of the characters finds herself pregnant because Jesus told her in a vision to have sex with her boyfriend to save him from becoming a homosexual (the vision coming moments after she bumped her head underwater), she discovers who her true friends are. As to be expected from the nature of the storyline, her "Christian" friends do not understand the changes going on in her life and leave her. The only Jewish girl in the private Christian high school and the self proclaiming "not a Christian" kid befriend her and help her through the pregnancy. Likewise, the pastor's son chooses to have a dating relationship with the girl without judging her for her past. It would have been nice to see at least one "Christian" character reaching out in the same way. Again, this is where the film falls short... I can think of many of my Christian friends who reached out to me when I was "in a bad way." (Um, please don't take that to mean I found myself pregnant as a teenager... that would be just plain bizarre.)

One final comment. The whole scene where Pastor Skip does a backflip onto the stage and pumps everyone up yelling "Who's down with G-O-D!?" was just plain hysterical. *sigh* Brought back memories of youth camps...

2005-01-04T11:42:00.000-05:00

let them sing it for you

I can't remember if I ever posted this site before: Let them sing it for you. Fun link... basically it's a conglomeration of one-word sound bites that are put together to form messages as you type them.

There. That's your first mind-numbing, thought-less link of 2005.

2005-01-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

another baby blogger

*sigh* It's such a good feeling to know that I have influenced folks to start blogging. My seminary pal Chad started a blog on January 1 (great "blog day," Chad!). He said my Dec 1 post influenced him to get the thing going. (See the post HERE.) So, check out Chad's baby blog: Chad's Running Commentary.

Here are some other folks I've somewhat inspired to begin blogging (in order of creation). Check out their sites:
Earthshattering Nonsense [Scott Feldman--my bro]
Little Runon [Kim Feldman--my wife!!]
One Mo Blog [Matt "Mo" Otto--that's his $.02]
The Big G [Gerry Rogers--so, he only has 1 post... hopefully he'll read this and get posting soon! ;^)]
The Flying Pig [Tim Beard--somerandomguyimetwhilebackpackingontheatinnorthcarolina]

2005-01-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

happy new year, folks!

2004-12-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

this is how...

this is how the year ends,
this is how the year ends,
this is how the year ends,
not with a bang,
but with a...

2004-12-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

believe it or not

Believe it or not, Kim actually posted today! It's true, check it out:
HERE. (I'm a little bitter that I was #5 on her list...)

2004-12-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

resolution

I don't have any new years resolutions thus far... I guess I have a little over 24 hours to think up some... (hmm... I wanna fit in my size 31 jeans again... I also wanna read a couple-o specific books... I wanna move my blog to typad...)

2004-12-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

all coming back to me

Picked up my truck yesterday. The collision dudes did a great job on it. I'll post some "before," "accident" and "current" photos eventually...

2004-12-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

new coffeeshop experience

So, I've got a few days off. I'm really enjoying spending the time with my wife (it's winter break for the school system). Yesterday we headed over to a new coffeeshop in the area called Nirvana. Worst--and I mean worst--coffeeshop experience of my life.

For one thing, it's not really a coffeeshop. They advertise themselves with a huge coffee cup as their logo. We walked in expecting coffee--instead finding bagels, sandwiches, and ice cream... with a side order of coffee (literally tucked away to the side). We were pleasantly surprised to find the ice cream, and decided to get the smallest serving of ice cream for each of us. $6 later (I kid you not... $3/1 scoop of ice cream!! What a rip off!) and 2 coffee cups later we sat down to do some reading and enjoy our over-priced ice cream and rather bland coffee.

Much to our chagrin, we apparently stumbled into our Nirvana nightmare on "training-the-new-adolescents-working-in-our-store" day. Behind us sat a manager (the girl looked like she was in high school) training a high school kid. Well, you can call it "training." She was essentially telling him everything he had to know in one sitting. It was rather ridiculous. She was talking so loud and obnoxiously that Kim and I literally had to pack our bags and head out.

We went to the Bou for chai and an iced mocha.

Needless to say, the Nirvana experience was quite the opposite of what their name would suggest. If you live in the area... stay away. Seriously. Enjoy a cup-o-Joe @ Port City or the Bou...

2004-12-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

about the church

Here are the links to my "about the church" posting series...
part i [.] why do people choose not to be part of the Church?
part ii [.] boring Church and style issues
part iii [.] the mission of God
part iv [.] the Church is community.1 - present/universal
part v [.] the Church is community.2 - ordinances
part vi [.] the Church is community.3 - Word[s] of God
part vii [.] message - reclaiming the church as community
part viii [.] the Church is community.4 - mission of God
part ix [.] the Church is intentional
part x [.] energing church

2004-12-24T12:35:00.000-05:00

merry christmas

I'm back! Thanks for your prayers for my family as we traveled and celebrated my grandfather's life. I probably will not post anything tomorrow... planning to enjoy the day with family. I plan to resume my regular posting frenzy early next week.

In the meantime, here's my "merry Christmas" wish! I sincerely hope you enjoy it. For many of us, this is a "first" kind-of year. For Kim and I, it's our first Christmas as husband-&-wife. I know that a couple of you are looking forward to Christmas for the same reason. And, it's a "first" for a bunch of you because of new additions to your families. Yeah for babies!

On the other hand, for several of us it's the first Christmas/Hanukkah we will be spending without a loved one. For you and your families, I pray for the same comfort that I pray for myself and my family as we search for the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9) this season.

Well, warmest wishes to you all... God bless.

2004-12-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

my top 5 in '04

Okay, here they are in reverse order--my top 5 posts of '04 (thanks for the suggestions):

#5 too busy (Sept 01) - I chose this post because it is a tangible reminder of my frailty and weakness. How I strive for an ideal, but live in the tension caused by my own selfishness.

#4 morning lattes and modern art (Sept. 21) - I chose this post because it deals with 3 things really important to me: coffee, friends and spirituality in/through art.

#3 in the name of education (January 28) - This is one of my favorite posts from '04, I think, because so many of you responded to it. It was a very thoughtful post with a great response from my faithful readers. (Thanks, gang!)

#2 learning to listen (March 8) - This was just a really, really cool worship service @ our church. The pics are neat-o, too.

#1 honeymooners! (July 12) - Um, I think the title of this post pretty much explains why I chose it. My life changed dramatically this year...

(to see other "Top 5" posts of the year, click here)

2004-12-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

family

My grandfather's funeral was today. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was clear, cool and sunny. It was also a tremendous blessing to see friends and family from as far away as New York City and Atlanta coming to celebrate my grandfather's life. Some family I had never met before, and some I reconnected with after many, many years. It reminded me how truly blessed my family is. Thank you, my faithful blog readers/commenters, for your prayers and thoughts as well. I do not have time to respond to your comments in the previous post, but I do appreciate them all...

We plan to travel home later this week--thank you in advance for your prayers for us as we travel. God's blessings to you all.

2004-12-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

wolf

My grandfather, Wolf Feldman, passed away this morning. Thank you in advance for your prayers and thoughts for our family as we travel and mourn the loss of this wonderful man.

2004-12-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

housekeeping

Kim and I have a couple-o trips scheduled over the next 2 weeks. Expect light blogging during that time. I'll do my best to update the site as I find internet access along the way. Thank you in advance for your prayers for our traveling. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you in person!

In the meantime, plug around my blog. I made a bunch of heavy posts this week intentionally--so that you have some stuff to mull over and dialogue about whilst I am temporarily away.

Thank you to those who have/are commenting on my Top 5 in '04 post. Your input is greatly appreciated. Early next week I hope to post the Top 5 posts from [ex]changed.life based on what you say and my own opinon.

Peace and coffee...

2004-12-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

about the church [.] part x

EMERGE.

Today's question: What is the emergent church?

Good luck answering that! I am very wary of anyone who dogmatically says: "THIS is the emerging Church." Why? Because we're right smack in the middle of figuring it out! Most of what is going on right now are "conversations" on what/how the Church is/will emerge.

SITES
There are many, many more knowledgeable and credible voices in the emerging Church than my own, so I'll let them speak for themselves. I've listed a couple to the left. If you're genuinely interested in the emerging Church, I recommend you spend time daily on the following blogs:

andrew jones - i appreciate andrew's voice and his perspectives
darren rowse - australian blogger and church planter--btw, if you ever want to start a blog, his site has a lot of helps
doug pagitt - here in usamerica
jonny baker - uk guy with a ton-o resources for alt.worship
maggi dawn - if you're looking for a philosophical approach, you'll find it here
steve collins - another uk guy with a ton-o resources for alt.worship, and honest conversation

Some other sites to check out:
a new kind of christian (brian mclaren)
emergent village
leon@rd sweet
rejesus
ship of fools

OKAY, SO??
I still haven't told you what the emerging church is. Well, here's what it isn't.
- The emerging church is not merely a reaction to the evangelical form of Christianity.
- Not just "cool" ways of doing Church.
- Not just alt.worship.
- Not just in the UK.
- Not simply "pomo" (postmodern) Church.
- Not "Gen-X" church.
- Definitely not "seeker sensitive."
- And most definitely not what you and I are used to.

Okay, so here's my attempt at a brief, incomplete and working definition: At it's best, I think you can describe the emerging Church as a contextualization of the true, raw Gospel of Christ and his Church for the folks of "today"... wherever/whoever they may be. And, yes, it's mostly a Western phenomena... That's because Constantine screwed us all up way back in the 4th Century. But, that's another rant.

CRITICISM
There has been lots of criticism leveled @ the emerging Church over the past few years by many prominent Christian thinkers and many, many yahoos who do not know what they are talking about. Perhaps the best dialogue on the criticism toward/against the emerging church is found on Andrew Jones' blog. Here's a LINK to an exceptional post (long, but worth the read).

WHO CARES??
Okay, so why should we care?

Maybe you don't "go" to Church, or don't even consider yourself to be a "Christian." Well, the emerging Church should be a breath of fresh air for you... It recovers the true nature of the Church to be the "going" party. So, you don't "come" to Church, it "comes" to you. Likewise, you may not consider yourself a Christian because, quite frankly, a lot of us Christians have let you down. We've lived hypocritical lives in front of you and we've not directed you the true spiritual life found only in Jesus Christ. Instead, we've shoved programs down your throat and badgered you with "the right way to live" (something the majority of us are really, really bad at). Well, I'm sorry. I'll apologize on behalf of every Christian/Church that has burned you in the past. If you're genuinely willing to move on, so am I... Let's begin discovering Christ together... I guarantee you that Christ is much, much more exciting than you can ever imagine...

Maybe you're a Christian and are wondering why in the world I am talking about all this. Well, I think our declining numbers here in USAmerica should be evidence that doing things the same old way just ain't cuttin' it. (BTW, I heard recently--can't remember where... don't you love that? Anyway, I heard recently that more Church communities die each year than are planted/started. Um. Wow. Ready to plant a Church?) Most of us know fundamentally that there is a disconnect between our life as a disciple of Christ and our spirituality. The two must merge, but we don't know how to do it. Let me rephrase that... we know how, and that's the problem. We aren't experiencing it. We're knowlegified (fun word) to the point that we're religiously obese and spiritually malnourished. Isn't it time to end the orgy and famine? Not that the emerging Church will end it, but it sure can help move us in the right direction over the next few chaotic decades of human history. That direction being whatever way points us to the one who quenches our thirst and fills our hungry souls: Jesus the Christ.

With that, I'm done with the series! *whew*

Previous posts in this series:
part i [.] why do people choose not to be part of the Church?
part ii [.] boring Church and style issues
part iii [.] the mission of God
part iv [.] the Church is community.1 - present/universal
part v [.] the Church is community.2 - ordinances
part vi [.] the Church is community.3 - Word[s] of God
part vii [.] message - reclaiming the church as community
part viii [.] the Church is community.4 - mission of God
part ix [.] the Church is intentional

2004-12-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

four rooms

Okay, now this is cool. It's an interactive flash project on rejesus depicting four rooms Christ would have been in: four rooms. From the site:

Different traditions stress different aspects of Jesus. In this module immerse yourself in four distinct experiences to investigate these aspects for yourself.

Enjoy...

2004-12-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

about the church [.] part ix

Okay, this series of posts has gone on long enough. I'm going to try to wrap this thing up in 2 more posts. Thanks for listening to me think aloud on this subject.

Despite what I said in this post over a year ago, Church is not just getting together with a Christian or two and hanging out. It must be intentional. Yes, the Church is purposed. (Don't worry, I'm not about to go into the whole Saddleback/Purpose Driven Life marketing sca--er, um, stuff. I, like you, am tired of hearing about it, but remember: it is Biblically sound! We can all learn something from it...) I actually typed this a year ago:

Life is good... and Church is where you find it with 2 or 3 gathered together... my thoughts are still mulling around in this miasmic learning curve...

At least I was wise enough to admit that I still had a lot to learn. Well, here's where I am along this "miasmic learning curve" now: Church is intentional (purposed) about 3 things: commission, community, communion.

Commission
The Church exists to infiltrate culture(s). It exists to go. This has huge implications for evangelism/mission--not to mention our buildings (hehehe). The Church does not exist to "bring people in," but to send people out--despite over a millennium of Church practice contrary to that fact. I'll get into this in my next post, but suffice it to say for right now: the Church is in grave theological and missional danger to assume that we exist for people to come to us.

Community
Covered this stuff previously, too. The Church is intentionally relational. More than just a club, we exist to sharpen each other, to carry each other's burdens, to love one another unconditionally, to mentor each other, to confess our sins one to another. (Here's a fun project: Grab a Bible and read all the "one another" statements in the New Testament.)

Communion
Let's not forget that the Church exists for/by Jesus Christ! Unashamedly, the Church worships Jesus Christ and seeks to aid in discipling Jesus' followers into Christ-likeness.

A final thought...
Commitment is a key element in Church life. A Church is not only intentional about community, communion and commission, but there is also a commitment involved. A commitment to be intentional about community, communion and commission, as well as a commitment to one another.

(Note: I am indebted to my current read, The Shaping of Things to Come, for most of what I have written above.)

Therefore, me hanging out w/ another Christian is not Church. Perhaps it is Community (fellowship? perhaps discipleship?), and is part of the Christian walk. But, it is not Church because the gathering is not intentional about commission or communion--not to mention there is not commitment!

Previous posts in this series:
part i [.] why do people choose not to be part of the Church?
part ii [.] boring Church and style issues
part iii [.] the mission of God
part iv [.] the Church is community.1 - present/universal
part v [.] the Church is community.2 - ordinances
part vi [.] the Church is community.3 - Word[s] of God
part vii [.] message - reclaiming the church as community
part viii [.] the Church is community.4 - mission of God

2004-12-14T10:42:00.000-05:00

top 5 in 2004

Okay, here's an interesting post on another site: Top 5 in 2004. Essentially, Bob requests that bloggers post their top five posts from 2004 onto his site. Helps get you some exposure and celebrates '04, I guess. I'm going to hunt down my top 5 from 2004 and then post them on the site. I'll also post them here, obviously.

I did something like this last year (see the post HERE), and ended up selecting a ridiculous amount of posts (like 18?). I like the idea of limiting it to 5 posts... I'll have to think deeply about what they will be. Any suggestions for my top 5 from '04? (If you do offer any suggestions via my comments, please include the name of the post and the date. Um, the date is very, very important... otherwise I'll spend hours searching for that blasted post, probably give up hunting for it, and never, ever post a link to it again.)

2004-12-13T11:16:00.000-05:00

stones of god

A few weeks ago I preached a message entitled "Reclaiming the Church as Community." (It also dovetailed with my blog series "About the Church"... a series which I'll pick up this week before vacations.) The message centered on 1 Peter 2:4-10 (you can see an outline of the message HERE). As people walked in to the worship center that day they received a small white stone. At the conclusion of the message, I read verses 4-5:

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

I also placed a large stone at the foot of the cross in our worship center. The stone represented Christ (verses 6-8 talk about Jesus Christ as the "capstone" and the "cornerstone"). I talked about how we as believers are being built "on/in" Christ's great kingdom. How as we follow Christ more each day, we become more and more like him. The individual stones were a reminder that we all carry the image of God.

I then challenged folks to pray about what the stone meant to them that day--are they recommitting to this Church community? are they praying about becoming a part of Christian community? do they want to recommit their lives to become more and more like Jesus? does the stone represent one step closer to Jesus and one step further away from selfishness? When they were ready, they could bring their stone to the foot of the cross and place it with the "Jesus stone."

The response time was open-ended, and left mostly in their hands as to how they chose to respond and when they wanted to leave. I have included a picture in the post of the stones as they were at the conclusion of the service.

2004-12-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

forge

I ran across the Forge Mission Training Network (Australia) while reading The Shaping of Things to Come. FORGE is a missiological training center in Australia. They focus not only on the academic/theological issues of the emerging Church in the West, but also on practical/hands-on experience. Check out the site for yourself--especially if you're interested in this sort of thing.

2004-12-09T11:36:00.000-05:00

9 weddings, 8 babies and Christmas

Every year someone asks me: "What do you want for Christmas?" Ugh. I have a strong disliking to that question. Whether justified or not, I feel selfish. So, I guess this year I'll re-update my Amazon wish list. That's usually what I tell folks: "Check out my Amazon wish list."

As it turns out, this year and next year are "crazy-give-gifts-to-everyone" years. Kim and I have been invited to or invovled in a ridiculous amount of weddings since our own on July 3 (somewhere around 9 I think... no joke). And, 8 of our friends are pregnant or having ("had" - congrats, Jay/Sally; Jruss/Aruss; Don/Kriss!) babies in the next 9 months. 'Tis the season to give and receive, I guess...

2004-12-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

fun w/ rss

Well, I finally joined the new millennium and downloaded an RSS reader. (RSS = "Really Simple Syndication"... Basically it is a format for syndicating news, blogs and other stuph.) Anyway, got a tip from my bro to download THIS free RSS reader. I got it hoping it would save time--no longer jumping around from blog to blog, etc.. (BTW, my site feed is located in my menu to the left... look for "XML.") So, this reader is pretty spiffy stuff. I've put most of the blogs that I know of into the reader, so I get their posts in something similar to an e-mail format within the hour that they post. I have also signed up for BBC News, but can't seem to find the site feed for CNN or FOX... any help there?

2004-12-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

today

Well, THE weekend is over! The Christmas Banquet went wonderfully. I wish I could say that I kept my head together for the weekend, but I was pretty darn stressed out. All I could do Sunday night was crawl into bed an exhausted person. I slept in late this morning, enjoyed a good workout at the gym, headed to the Bou for some coffee and got side-swiped. Yup. A car accident. The other person failed to yield, and she crushed the back end of my truck. It could have been worse. Well, she's at fault (police came and reported it) and her insurance will cover it, but it's still a bummer on this rainy day. It all happens for a reason...

2004-12-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

port city

Currently hanging out at our Port City Java in Roswell. Why? WIFI is free here, and it's a pretty good connection! It's also the first coffee shop I've been in that reminds me of the internet cafes in Europe. If you live in the area, go check it out. They need the business (they're a start-up shop)...

2004-12-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

new year resolution

Been thinking about what you will resolve to in 2005? I have an idea for you. Why not start your own blog?? (You know you've been secretly wanting to...) You've got 30 days 'till January. You can do it!

Theooze has a great article that can get you started. I've read over it and it has some pretty good advice whatever your experience with blogs. Check out the article: Theooze Annual Blog Tools Roundup.

You will be seeing some major [good] changes around my blog next year... just a heads up!

2004-11-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

da bou

So, Caribou has this new drink for the holiday season called "Ho Ho Mocha." It's basically a white chocolate mocha (my favorite espresso drink) with peppermint. Anyway, it "pays" to register your Caribou card (assuming you have one). Yesterday, they sent out coupons for a free Ho Ho Mocha today (Nov 30). So, Kim and I started our morning with FREE large espresso-peppermint drinks today... mmm...

2004-11-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

underwhelmed

I woke up today with a sinking feeling... the pressure of the holidays weighing heavily on me.

In a previous post, I ranted about the rush-rush-rush of the holiday season in general. I think I'm doing okay with that end of things (the whole society-driven-marketing-pressure of the season). But, today, the first Monday after Turkey Day, I've awakened to the ridiculous expectations placed upon me by other people. I wish that I could shirk my responsibilities this month, but that, unfortunately, is not possible.

As "Pastor of Worship and Arts" at my Church, I am responsible for a whole host of large events/projects throughout the year. They usually come and go as once-every-other-month sorts of things. It just so happens that two of the largest "events" at our Church occur in the next 3 weeks (our Christmas Banquet and Christmas Eve service). And, yes, I am the person responsible for "making them happen."

I've given away everything that I can possibly give away to other people to help out with the projects... but, the sole responsibility of each of the events rests on me. (It doesn't help that most everyone else in the Church is feeling an enormous amount of holiday-pressure and is "too busy" to help out... I almost feel guilty asking people to help out!) To be honest, everything is overwhelming at the moment. The only other time I ever feel this much pressure is around Easter. But, that's just one shot in the middle of Spring, so it's usually not this bad.

Don't get me wrong. I don't entirely blame my Church community for setting these expectations. Indeed, I have some part in this with my "I can do it!" personality. But, I think it's really a symptom of how the vast majority of Western Christianity has interpreted what "Church" is. But, I'll deconstruct that thought in a later post...

I guess the hardest part of all of this is being married. In the past, I was able to throw myself completely into these sorts of projects, but now I know that doing that in the midst of our marriage would be unfair to my wife. I feel a sense of "resentment" or "anger" that my time with my amazing wife is being channeled away from her for this period of time--and that most of it is completely out of my ability to control it. But, I guess life comes and goes with such seasons-of-existence.

I know, though, that even more than feeling overwhelmed, I am feeling underwhelmed. Generally when I get this stressed, etc., I tend to push my faith to the margins of my life. This morning I prayed a simple prayer: "Jesus, I desperately want to keep you at my centre this week." That's really all I can do at this point. I desire to be overwhelmed--in awe--at Christ and his birth rather than underwhelmed--too busy to experience the mystery of Christ's incarnation.

Thanks for listening to my rant. Things will be better after this Sunday's Christmas Banquet. Just a heads up: this may be a light week of posting... I've already spent too much time writing this post...

2004-11-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

on the road again...

2004-11-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

Turkey Day!

Well... it's Thanksgiving holiday this week. I'll be traveling around a bit, so I may not get to my blog as often as I would like. Don't worry, though! I'll be back!

2004-11-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

my wife rocks

3 hours of staff meetings today. Ugh. Came into my office in a toasted frame of mind. Lo and behold... there on my desk... a small CD-shaped object wrapped in newspaper clippings of the greatest band ever, U2. Scribbled in the top corner: "Love, Kim." And what should I find inside?? "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb."

My wife absolutely rocks!

2004-11-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

holidaze

It's that time of year again. Holidays, holidays, holidays. They just seem to hit us one right after the other. No breathing room in between. Of course, the commercialism beast of our capitalistic society has begun to hit us with "Christmas-time-marketing" since late October!

It's a catch-22 for me.

I look forward to the season because of all the fond memories of my childhood--family reunions, Christmas day with the family, etc.. I still look forward to those things. The sights, smells and feelings associated with the season overwhelm me with joy sometimes.

Then, there is the "other side." 100s of Christmas cards to sign. Family get-togethers to schedule in the midst of a myriad of Church-related Christmas events and seasonal parties with friends. Oh, and who can forget the ever present stress of finding the "right gift" for everybody on my ever-growing list?? (By the way, if you're looking to get me a gift, you can just get me one of the following and I'll be happy as a peach: [1] World peace, [2] Brunch with Bono, [3] My own coffee house.)

This is my first Christmas as a husband. I'm excited to begin establishing holiday-time traditions with my beautiful wife. However, I am sad that both of us have been programmed by society to be so ridiculously busy during the holidays because we both love and enjoy this time of year. Then again, have we been programmed, or is it just the inevitable outcome of the social expectations on us??

My hope and prayer is for the grace to say "no" to some things and the courage to say "yes" to my new family as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We need the "Prince of Peace" to guide us through the season.

2004-11-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

thought provoking

Now, here's a thought provoking post (Is God up to something in USA?) on tallskinnykiwi. Andrew Jones looks at a rew recent events from 2004 (i.e. The Passion of Christ, the elections, Christian music industry, etc.) in the USA and wonders aloud if God may be preparing the Christian community in the USA for something...

2004-11-19T13:28:00.000-05:00

about the church [.] part viii

In my previous post in this series about the Church I posted my sermon outline from a few weeks ago. If you're new to [ex]changed.life or haven't been around for a while, let me fill you in on the "about the church" series. Basically, I've been journaling my thoughts on what "makes" a church--the essentials vs. the non-essentials.

Most recently, I've been going through three characteristics of authentic Christian community (what I'm referring to as "the Church"). We've covered ordinances and encountering the Word of God. Now onto the third and final characteristic: The church actively joins in the mission of God.

At the core of this idea is the question "what is the mission of God?" I've already tackled this question in this post (the mission of God). Rather than going over what I've already written, I'll just say these few things as further clarification:

1) The Church community that is intentional, relevant and urgent in reaching pre-believers is on mission with God.
2) The Church community that is known by their love, a voice of hope and a community of faith is on mission with God.
3) Just because a Church gives money to "missions" or supports an over-seas mission doesn't necessarily mean they are on mission with God. However, a Church that is involved in redemptive work locally with the goal of nothing less than reaching the entire world is mission minded. This is the balance between reality and idealism. Why not dream big? Just don't forget where you are today! You must be committed to actively reaching the community you are placed in first.

Anyway, those are a few thoughts just to get things going again...

Previous posts in this series:
part i [.] why do people choose not to be part of the Church?
part ii [.] boring Church and style issues
part iii [.] the mission of God
part iv [.] the Church is community.1
part v [.] the Church is community.2
part vi [.] the Church is community.3
part vii [.] reclaiming the church as community

2004-11-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

m-resources

Pretty spiffy site one of my friends from seminary put together. It's basically some original resources--small group studies, worship service video loops, etc.--meant primarily for high school students. Russ is a pretty dynamic and gifted speaker. If you're in the youth/young adult world, you may want to consider this guy and his resources. He's pretty solid. (For those of you UGA grads, he's also a UGA alum...)

Anyway, check out his stuff at: m-resources.

2004-11-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

writer's blo(g)ck

Just wondering out loud... Perhaps my cycle in not having anything blog-worthy to post works in a reverse manner as well. (For the complete 4-stage cycle, see this post.) Apparently, my previous post about this weekend's football games ranks in around a #2 in my cycle. Which leads me to a hypothesis: Perhaps I proceed through the four steps to hard core writer's blo(g)ck, and then proceed back up the ladder toward blogging health (i.e. 1...2...3...4... then... 3...2...1...).

Maybe I think too much.

2004-11-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

football

I guess you can say I'm a proud alum. Good 'ole Carson-Newman College advanced to round two of NCAA Division 2 playoffs this past weekend. (Check out the bracket HERE.) We'll be playing Valdosta this weekend--a team C-NC traditionally looses to. Valdosta is currently ranked #4 whilst C-NC is ranked #14. Not holding my breath, but it would be nice to see the Eagles make it back to Florence, AL for the National Title again this year...

In other NCAA news, BAMA plays Auburn in the Iron Bowl this weekend. After seeing the embarassing display of UGA vs. Auburn this past weekend, I'm not at all looking forward to the game this weekend. I've even considered driving the 4.5 hours to south Georgia to see C-NC potentially win against Valdosta rather than watch BAMA get crushed by Auburn on TV.

2004-11-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

more on my constipation

So, I'm constipated. Um, not literally. I have writer's block. It seems my drive to post on my blog comes and goes. About every 8 weeks or so, I hit a wall. I have nothing to say. Usually, my pattern is something like this:

1) I begin posting links to other sites. A stall tactic? Maybe a way to get your attention off my site whilst I try to conjure up some creative topics?

2) After that I usually begin to post about random things that are, to be frank, brainless. Such as my ESPN College Pick 'Em posts (I fell into 3rd place in our group this week).

3) About this time I begin to feel some pressure. I feel like you--my faithful reader--is angry at me for not posting anything worthwhile. I feel your judgment breathing on my neck--heating my blood and burning shame deep into the concreted-bowels of my writer's mind...

4) Then, the most existential part of all... I literally have a disgusting feeling directly aimed at my blog. I loathe it--almost as if my blog were a person that I do not want to be around. I don't like to look at it, and I certainly hate to open Blogger and try to initiate some kind of dialogue with it. I have a certain suburban-esque-angst aimed right at the poor thing.

So, I am constipated--metaphorically speaking. I need some "prune juice" to get the thoughts rolling again. I have many things I want to do. I'd like to finish up the dialogue "about the church"... its been a while since I posted my thoughts on it, and I'd like to finish it up. I think it'll eventually take us into a dialogue on the emerging church (at least, that's where I'd like it to end up). So much to do... so little brain power... ugh... mondays.

2004-11-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

hmph

writers block.

2004-11-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

death

So, Arafat died. It was sad to watch on TV all the Palestinians mourning the loss of their leader. I hope/pray that peace talks can begin soon...

2004-11-10T13:19:00.000-05:00

fun with rss!

Now, here's another thing to take up more of your time! The site is called: 10x10 - 100 Words and Pictures that Define the Time. Basically, the program searches RSS feeds of major news entities and aggregates the top 100 "words" of the hour. It then rips a picture from the site and puts it with the word (complete with links to the actual news articles!). Its a neat way to "view" the headlines of the hour. Here's a description from the actual site:

10x10™ ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. The result is an often moving, sometimes shocking, occasionally frivolous, but always fitting snapshot of our world. Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.

A related site by the same designer is: Wordcount - Tracking the Way We Use Language. Now this is a cool site. It agregates 86,000+ words in the English language by rank in usage. You can type in individual words or search by rank number. The site also includes some pretty fun "consipiracies" where words were randomly placed next to each other in ranking. (2 of my favorite conspiracies: "microsoft aquire salary tremendous" and "apple formula: imagination.") Oh, and, FYI, word # 86,800 (the least used word) is "conquistador;" and for the record, "Adam" is ranked 2,775 in the grand scheme of word usage.

If you're interested in more stuff by the designer, check out his site at: Number 27 - The Work of Jonathan J. Harris.

2004-11-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

btw

Oh, and by the way... has anyone noticed the slight change I made to my blog recently? Comments...?

2004-11-09T08:32:00.000-05:00

plagiarism anyone?

My wife is a high school English teacher. She's always grading essays and such. It's pretty fun to watch her catch kids in the act of plagiarism. I myself was an English nerd--um, major, in college. Here's a fun site (turnitin.com) designed to catch kids in the act of plagiarizing papers off the web.

Basically, you submit a paper electronically to the site, it scans the paper through a database of millions of other papers, then it spits the paper out with highlights marking what sentences/phrases/paragraphs were ripped from other papers. I hear it even gives a percentage of how much of the paper was ripped! The problem is that it's pretty expensive, so you'd almost have to get the school board behind it to fund the various departments that would use it (i.e. English, social studies, psychology, etc.).

It's really sad that the technology for cheating demands such a sophisticated technology to catch the cheaters.

[ex]changed.life

i've moved!

year 2 archives

x<24hrs

are you ready?

easter

not again...

beautiful day

good friday, happy easter

t-minus...

emerging sbc

upcoming conference

it's coming...

sbc conversation moving elsewhere...

southern baptist young leader initiative - part 2

southern baptist young leader initiative

b'more

purpose driven convict

thoughts on this weekend

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part X

streams

today

getting the word out

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 9

up.date

alaska

see what i mean!?

march!

balmy

soul.break.february.05

what is a christian?

origins

leavin' town...

getting the word out - reminder!

special post-valentine's day posting!

it's public!

a peasant's quest

the weather

the weather

getting the word out '05

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 8

launching sunday

good laugh

blogging: a loss of connection

jeremy carr

ridiculous

no go

a few more blogs

blogroll update

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Part 7

threat or invitation?

massive baby

reading update

return

maryland

vacationing

the accident

weak-willed

saved!

let them sing it for you

another baby blogger

happy new year, folks!

this is how...

believe it or not

resolution

all coming back to me

new coffeeshop experience

about the church

merry christmas

my top 5 in '04

family

wolf

housekeeping

about the church [.] part x

four rooms

about the church [.] part ix

top 5 in 2004

stones of god

forge

9 weddings, 8 babies and Christmas